Kazakhstan could establish a smart city to demonstrate support for digital payments starting in 2026.
Kazakhstan sets sights on a crypto reserve and “CryptoCity” as part of its 2026 digital economy plans.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Alisher Zakirov
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday announced plans to set up a government-backed crypto reserve and build a ‘fully digitalised' smart city starting in 2026, marking it as a significant leap in its digital economy. During his annual State of the Nation address, the president instructed lawmakers to draft comprehensive legislation on digital assets, which is expected to be introduced by next year. The framework would cover blockchain activity, regulating fintech services, and supporting the country's objective to diversify its financial services.
A statement posted on the leader's website said that the proposed law would create a “State Fund of Digital Assets” (translated from Kazakh), to be administered by the National Bank's Investment Corporation. Digital assets that are considered promising and are strengthening Kazakhstan's reserves, while encouraging innovation across financial services, will be collected and managed by Kazakhstan's government. The president highlighted that the concept is based on recent discussions about using digital assets to boost national wealth and reduce dependency on traditional financial services and assets.
“The creation of a dedicated crypto reserve reflects our vision for a modernised economy,” the president said, adding that the pilot Alatau City Project (a southeastern city of about 52,000 people), would showcase how daily life could integrate regulated crypto payments. He called the initiative a blend of technological advancement and better living standards, which will position Kazakhstan as a regional leader in digital transformation.
Globally, the concept of sovereign digital asset reserves has been gaining popularity and traction. Countries like the US are already exploring crypto reserves, while countries like Brazil and Indonesia are debating similar moves. Kazakhstan's strategy could serve as a roadmap for emerging markets to adopt cryptocurrency at a state level, with Alatau potentially serving as a model for the crypto ecosystems under government oversight.
The threats and opportunities of rapid cryptocurrency adoption were drawn out in Kazakhstan's earlier role as a Bitcoin mining hub, which also strained the country's power grid. The latest push for structured legislation and regulated initiatives signals an effort to balance innovation with stability. If successful, these projects could redefine how nations incorporate digital assets into their economies while shaping the next phase of global crypto adoption.
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